Disaster-Proofing Your ERP Data

How to Avoid Threats to your ERP Data

Your enterprise resource planning (ERP) environment is critical to keeping your most important back-office operations, such as finance and accounting, human resources, and production running as efficiently as possible.

Yet a variety of serious threats exist – natural disasters, hackers, and technology breakdowns – that can put the very infrastructure you rely on at risk. So, how do you keep your ERP data protected at all times? Here is a look at some of the most common threats, and what steps can you take to ensure that your company is prepared to avoid them.

Server or Hardware Failures

Any piece of technology equipment can fail at any time. But, the older your servers and hardware are, the more likely you are to experience the kind of problems that can result in downtime and loss of productivity. And, when your ERP data is not readily accessible to your end users, it can cause significant slow downs across your entire back office.

A solid 24 x 7 monitoring plan that combines software with dynamic alert capabilities and around-the-clock technical support will allow you to troubleshoot and correct any hardware failures they very moment they arise.

Additionally, for those instances where problems are too severe to be fixed rapidly, you can set up a redundant or mirrored ERP applications environment, so you can ensure continuous access to your ERP data, even if your primary production systems goes down.

Hackers and Cyber-Criminals

As people become more and more computer-savvy, security breaches and data theft are becoming more and more common. In fact, we have all been, or are close to someone who has been, the victim of a cyber crime.

A weak data security system will make your company an easy target for attacks by today’s sophisticated hackers. And unfortunately, the threat is even greater in ERP environments, because these applications typically house large volumes of highly sensitive product and financial information. By combining several security techniques such as role-based log on authentication, revolving or frequently-changing passwords, anti-virus software, data encryption technologies, and firewalls if your applications will be Web-based, you can help prevent unauthorized access to your confidential ERP data.

Natural Disasters

Floods, fires, hurricanes, earthquakes, and other natural disasters often catch a company off guard.

While many firms have put appropriate measures in place to safeguard against hardware failures and ward off cyber attacks, few businesses – except for those in high risk areas – expect that a natural disaster can happen to them. So, other than a few sprinklers in their server rooms, they find themselves completely unprotected.

But, a disaster recovery strategy is one of the most important plans a business can lay out, especially when it comes to mission-critical ERP data. A well-organized plan that includes frequently scheduled back-ups, preferably on a nightly basis, to a server or data storage device in an off-site location will enable you to quickly restore your valuable ERP data if your hardware is ever damaged beyond repair.